DP World to operate Ctg port NCT

UAE-based global port operator DP World will operate and maintain Chattogram Port’s New Mooring Container Terminal (NCT) for 15 years under a concession agreement to be signed on Thursday (October 8), a move expected to improve port efficiency, expand handling capacity and strengthen Bangladesh’s trade and logistics infrastructure.

The agreement covering NCT and its Overflow Container Yard (OCY) will be signed at 3PM at the Investment Bangladesh auditorium under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) framework. Shipping Minister Shaikh Rabiul Alam, Investment Bangladesh Chairman Ashik Chowdhury and DP World Board Chairman Essa Kazim are scheduled to attend.

The NCT is the largest container terminal at Chattogram Port and handles more than 40 percent of the port’s total container throughput. The terminal has five jetties and 14 of the port’s 18 quay-side gantry cranes.

The involvement of an international terminal operator is expected to bring advanced port-management practices, modern cargo-handling technology and additional investment to the terminal. The PPP Authority says the project is designed to upgrade, operate and maintain NCT and OCY through DP World under a government-to-government concession.

For Bangladesh’s economy, improved terminal productivity could help reduce vessel turnaround and cargo-handling time, making import and export operations more efficient. Better yard management and cargo-handling capacity could also help ease logistics bottlenecks and improve the competitiveness of Bangladeshi exporters and importers.

The project is also expected to mobilise private-sector investment in the port sector, improve logistics services and create opportunities for technology transfer and skills development. The International Finance Corporation, which is advising the transaction, says the project is expected to mobilise private investment and deliver more efficient container-terminal services.

DP World’s involvement could also strengthen Bangladesh’s integration with international shipping and logistics networks. The company operates major ports and logistics facilities globally, while its experience in integrated port and supply-chain operations could support the development of more efficient cargo movement from the seaport to inland destinations.

The broader economic benefit would depend on how effectively the concession improves productivity, expands capacity and translates efficiency gains into lower logistics costs and faster trade flows. As Chattogram Port is the country’s principal maritime gateway, improvements at NCT could have a direct bearing on Bangladesh’s import-export supply chain.

The NCT is currently operated by Chittagong Dry Dock Limited, a Bangladesh Navy-controlled entity. The terminal was built at a cost of around Tk2,000 crore in 2007.